Prosa 4

section 2

fuisse felicem: "to have been happy."

section 3

quod: quod . . . luas: in apposition with id, "the fact that you are paying the penalty."
luas: quod . . . luas: in apposition with id, "the fact that you are paying the penalty."
mecum reputes licet: "please consider with me . . . ," governing the indirect question quam . . . abundes.

section 4

quod: quod . . . possidebas: antecedent is id.
possidebas: quod . . . possidebas: antecedent is id.
diuinitus: "by divine influence."
meliora quaeque: "all the better things"; see note on 1P3.14.
de infortunio: de infortunio . . . causari: "to complain about misfortune"; iure is adverbial (see on 2P3.1).
causari: de infortunio . . . causari: "to complain about misfortune"; iure is adverbial (see on 2P3.1).

section 5

quod: antecedent is to be inferred from following main clause (uir . . . iniuriis).
emeres: < emo, "buy."
suarum securus: (sc. iniuriarum) "without fear of injuries of his own."

section 6

pudicitia pudore: both ablatives governed by praecellens; the two terms are very close in meaning, but are used together without a connective (cf. Sallust, Catilina 12.2).
dotes: < dos, literally, "dowry," figuratively, "gifts"; B. plays on both meanings here.
tibique tantum: "for you alone."
uitae huius exosa spiritum seruat: "(although) detesting this life, (yet) keeps breath [in her body]"; uitae huius is a very rare use of the objective genitive (see Gruber).
quoque uno: "and in which thing alone"; the antecedent is the whole clause tui desiderio . . . tabescit: enclitic -que correlates with tibique in the preceding line.
uel ipsa: "even I."
tui desiderio: "with longing for you."

section 7

quorum: the clause is marked by anacoluthon, a shift in grammatical structure in midstream; it would be easier to translate if quorum were in quibus.
id aetatis: "at that age." (AG 397a).

section 8

o te: o te . . . felicem: accusative of exclamation, "O happy you!"
felicem: o te . . . felicem: accusative of exclamation, "O happy you!"
suppetunt: "are available."
uita: ablative of comparison with cariora.

section 9

nondum: nondum . . . fortuna: literally, "Fortune has not yet hated all, to [the last] one." Omnes must be Boethius's loved ones.
fortuna: nondum . . . fortuna: literally, "Fortune has not yet hated all, to [the last] one." Omnes must be Boethius's loved ones.

section 11

aliquantum: adverb, "somewhat."
piget: constructed with accusative of the person affected and genitive of the source of the emotion: "you are not yet vexed with your lot as a whole."
delicias: if applied to inanimate objects, "triflings, whimsicalities" ; metaphor for self-indulgence.
qui: qui . . . conqueraris: subjunctive in a causal relative clause (qui = cum tu).
conqueraris: qui . . . conqueraris: subjunctive in a causal relative clause (qui = cum tu).

section 12

et quae: "and one which."

section 13

census: literally, "register of property," hence the property itself; here, "wealth."
pudori: dative of purpose; "a source of shame," i.e., "an embarrassment."
rei familiaris: "property, wealth."

section 14

utroque: "with both," i.e., wealth and nobility.
orbus: "bereft of," with ablative.

section 15

inest: inest . . . exhorreat: = inest singulis [rebus aliquid] quod inexpertus ignoret [et quod] expertus exhorreat. (expertus: "one who has experienced [it].") Roughly, "Every silver lining has a cloud."
exhorreat: inest . . . exhorreat: = inest singulis [rebus aliquid] quod inexpertus ignoret [et quod] expertus exhorreat. (expertus: "one who has experienced [it].") Roughly, "Every silver lining has a cloud."

section 16

delicatissimus: "most fastidious."
ad nutum: "according to his whim."
insolens: "unaccustomed to"; with genitive.
minimis quibusque: "every least thing."
fortunatissimis: dative of separation.

section 17

Hic ipse locus: see on 1P4.36.

section 18

omnis: omnis . . . tolerantis possessive genitive: "of every (person) enduring . . ."
tolerantis: omnis . . . tolerantis possessive genitive: "of every (person) enduring . . ."

section 19

dederit impatientiae manus: dare manus + dative = "to yield to, to give in to."

section 20

respersa: < respergo, "besprinkle, splash."
quominus: quominus . . . abeat: clause of prevention after retineri; the subject of the verb is dulcedo.
abeat: quominus . . . abeat: clause of prevention after retineri; the subject of the verb is dulcedo.

section 21

Liquet: "it is clear"; with indirect question, quam sit misera . . . ("how wretched is . . .").

section 22

22: Construe: Quid ("Why") petitis extra [uos] felicitatem positam intra uos?

section 23

cardinem: literally, "hinge, axis"; here, "crucial element."
inquies: "you will say."
tui compos: "in control of yourself."

section 25

naturae: naturae . . . ratione degentis: "of a nature living by reason" (degentis < dego, "live").
ratione degentis: naturae . . . ratione degentis: "of a nature living by reason" (degentis < dego, "live").
manifestum est quin: "it is clear that"; quin after a positive statement is rare, even in later Latin, but manifestum est has the force of non est dubium (AG 558a); cf. dubitari nequit . . . quin in sec. 28 below.

section 26

Ad haec: "moreover."
uel si amiserit: "if he does in fact lose [it]."

section 27

perexile: literally, "very thin, meagre."

section 28

nequit: "cannot."
haec: sc. fortuita felicitas.
quin: cf. on sec. 25 above.
in miseriam: in miseriam . . . labatur: "slides toward wretchedness."
mortis fine: "at the end, which is death"; mortis is epexegetic (i.e., explanatory) genitive.
labatur: in miseriam . . . labatur: "slides toward wretchedness."

section 29

multos: e.g., Zeno (cf. 1P3.9); it is not necessary to see here an allusion to Christian martyrdom (though medieval readers would have).
praesens: sc. felicitas fortuita.